La Ferme De Pierre

La Ferme de Pierre is a serene retreat in the heart of Provence, a region filled with stunning mountains, rolling fields of lavender and grape vines and countless historic villages. There is plenty to see and do here, which is within easy reach of the villa, so you can enjoy art, culture and the sumptuous local cuisine without driving very far.   

Within just 1km of the house, you can find the nearest village, Verquières. This tiny village has a medieval dovecote plus a pretty historic church and bell tower, which you can view while wandering the tranquil streets. There are walking routes through orchards and verdant farmland and roads leading out from the village, which will take you to mountain cycling trails that offer amazing views.   

This whole area is dotted with beautiful and welcoming villages and towns; another you could visit is Eyragues which is only 8km away. The village has a thriving market each Friday, which sells the freshest local produce you can prepare for dinner unless you would prefer to dine at one of the family-run cafes and restaurants that line the village streets. Here you can stroll around and visit places like Saint Bonnet Chapel, which has landscaped gardens and centuries-old tombs. In the summer, the village hosts festivals, saints’ days and communal meals, while in winter, there are Christmas markets in the square, so you will always find something going on.   

Châteaurenard is another character-filled place you can reach under 10km from the house. If you would like to arrive uniquely, then why not board the steam train in a neighbouring town which is great fun! The town sits in the shadows of its imposing castle, one of the main attractions. Today most of what we see of the castle is in ruins, though the walls and the towers can be explored, and there is an exhibition held in one of the towers, which spans many eras through history. The exhibition will tell you more about how the castle came to be destroyed in the French Revolution, or you can learn about the area's agricultural history down the hill at the Museum of Agricultural Implements. Aside from the historic sites, Châteaurenard has a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants, plus a large market.   

As well as sleepy hilltop villages and expansive natural parks, Provence has some wonderful larger towns and cities too. Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, for example, is only 12km away from the villa and is somewhere you should visit if you are interested in the artist Vincent van Gogh. In town, you can pay a visit to the enchanting 11th-century Saint-Paul-de-Mausole monastery, which is famous for hosting Van Gogh for an entire year in the 19th century. Though this building is lovely and surrounded by gorgeous gardens, Van Gogh slept in a cell-like room while he worked on 100s of paintings. If this interests you, you can also take a guided tour around town to see some of the places he painted. One of Saint-Remy’s other star attractions is just a short stroll from the monastery and is a series of ruins from the Gallo-Roman city of Glanum; here, you can imagine what life was like 2000 years ago as you look around the mausoleum, bath houses, homes and the triumphal arch. Saint Rémy de Provence is a beautiful town where you can enjoy shopping in little boutiques and dining in picturesque squares. 

Read more about Provence-Alpes

The Provençal way of life is one that’s deeply tempting for anyone who’s been feeling the need to get away from it all. This is a place where the Mediterranean weather turns fields of corn and lavender into picture-perfect backdrops, where you can sip your locally bought wine and enjoy the landscapes before heading out and tackling them head-on with a range of great activities for families, groups of friends and adventurous foodies. Better yet, our range of villas in Provence and chateaux and holiday homes in the Côte d’Azur make the perfect base to explore this enchanting region!

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